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Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Ninety Degrees by Megan Duke

Title: Ninety Degrees

Author: Megan Duke

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Online Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS!

Summary from Goodreads:

Ninety Degrees is the story behind Silas McFuller's senior year at Chattanooga Prep. He and his best friend, Charleigh McAfee, have never cared about grades or ACT scores. Their drive stems from creativity and pushing the boundaries when it comes to the arts and the world around them. They've got one year left of high school, and they want to make it count. For Charleigh, that means crossing into dangerous territory alongside a rebel with a southern drawl. For Silas, it means letting go of reasoning and finally letting his true self shine. Readers of the Small Circles books know better than any that life is short, and within that small spanse of time, it's okay to be happy.

My Opinion:

Ninety Degrees by Megan Duke was a precursor to her amazing series, Small Circles. Ninety Degrees was a fun, amusing, quick read which definitely kept my interest throughout the whole novel. This novel is quite unique to Duke's other novels as it is following supporting characters in Small Circles and their lives before meeting the Small Circles characters. The male protagonist of this novel, Silas McFuller, was definitely a character who showed character growth. From being a gullible, used boy to a strong man, we see the character development. Silas went through a lot of troubles and also managed to handle them well. Learning more about Silas' past was an adventure I enjoyed as I was interested to see his life before meeting Larson. Charleigh was my favourite character throughout this entire novel. Her fun, wild spirit definitely made this book an interesting ride. Charleigh's character faced a lot of hurdles and experiencing these hurdles with her really helped create a soft spot in our hearts for her. From the outside, her character might seem careless and fun but getting to know her personally conveyed all the insecurities she goes through- just like a normal teenage girl. This novel had a brilliant setting and it was quite detailed which helped draw the readers closer into the novel. Megan Duke's writing skills are quite elegant helping to draw all the unanswered questions beautifully at the end. Duke writing style is phenomenal as I found it really easy to fit into the current situation/ conflict that had been aroused. The plot was absolutely amazing- it was unique and definitely relatable too. As a teenager, I felt it was easy to fit into the story as we see hardships at school or even on the television and Duke brought these problems 'to life' through her novel giving teenagers an insight on how difficult things can become if you choose the wrong path in life. This novel is not only relatable too but is also quite honest and inspiring. Duke made us realise that it's okay to be happy and to do what our heart wants. From this novel I have learnt many life goals such as, always follow your dream and heart. I definitely recommend this series, Small Circles, to teenagers as these novels will really inspire them in life.